Typewriting machine



Ndv. 3p 1926.

1,608,847 E. E. FOWLER TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed'June 14 1922 Patented Nov. 3t), 1925.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EWELL E. FONLEB, OF EAST POINT, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR T UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEHRITING MACHINE.

Application filed June 14,

This invention relates to means for automatically line-spacing the platen of a typewriting machine by a movement of the typewriter-carriage in a letter-feeding direction, due, for example, to the tabulation of the carriage to a predetermined column.

The main object of the invention is to provide means, whereby, upon movement of the carriage in a letter-space direction to a predetermined point, as by means of tabulating mechanism, line-spacing of the platen will be effected automatically.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means to produce the desired result, which is effective in action, economical to manufacture, and readily applicable to machines in general use.

In carrying out the invention, provision may be made of an attachment or device secured to the cross-bar of the typewriter frame, on which the usual letter-space scale is mounted, and of a member attached to the forward end of the usual line-space lever, said device being in the path of normal carriage movement of the lever so as to engage the attached member and thereby cause a line-spacing operation of the platen upon a tabulating movement of the carriage.

Said device may comprise a bracket secured to said cross-bar by any suitable means, such as a screw, and having at its top an upright portion and a horizontal flange projecting forwardly therefrom. Pivoted to the forwardly-projecting flange, on the under side thereof, is a latch or hook extending to the left from its pivot and normally held in forward position against said upright portion of the bracket by means of a spring secured to the bracket at one end, and engaging at its other end with a pin projecting downwardly from said hook.

The member on the line-space lever to cooperate with the hook may be secured to the line-space lever by any suitable means, such as screws, and this member and the hook are so formed that, when the line-space lever has been actuated, the hook will be forced back suflieiently to permit the member on the line-space lever to be carried past the same to permit further typing, and so that, upon the return movement of the carriage, the member on the line-space lever will force back the hook so as to permit the carriage to be returned farther to the right.

Provision may also be made of a device 1922. Serial No. 568,197.

to hold the hook in retracted position, so as to be out of the range of the member on the line-space lever during the movements of the carriage in both directions.

It will be seen that, when the carriage is to the right of the point at which automatic line-spacing is effected, actuation of a tabulator key to tabulate the carriage to said predetermined point, or past the same, will cause'both the desired tabulation and a linespacing movement of the platen.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, showing the invention applied to so much of an Underwood Standard typewriter as is necessary for the purpose of illustration.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view, showing the various parts in their normal positions just prior to the actuation of the line-spacing mechanism in the letter-feeding movement of the carriage.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the parts in the positions assumed at the end of the line-spacing action and when the line'space lever is about to be carried past the hook of the actuating de' vice.

Figure i is afragmentary top plan view, showing the hook or latch of the actuating device locked in ineffective position.

A platen is mounted on a platenanle 11, journaled in ends 12 of a platen-frame 13, mounted to travel in a path transverse to the typewriter-frame 15. Mounted on the platen-axle 11, just outside of the left end 12 of the platen-frame 18, is a ratchetwheel 16 which may be actuated by a pawl 17 pivoted at 18 on a slide 19 supported on the left end 12 of the platen-frame, the slide 19 normally being held in forward position by a spring 20. At its forward end, the slide 19 is engaged by a short arm 21 projecting substantially at right angles from a line-space lever 22 pivoted at 23 on the frame of the carriage 14, the forward end of the lever 22 being provided with an upstanding finger-piece Qt of the usual form.

The typewriter-frame is provided with a cross-bar 25 extending across the front of the machine adjacent the front part of the carriage. This cross-bar serves to support the carriage at its front, and also acts as a hook 31. The book 31 swings about support 'for a letter-space scale 26 by means of which margin-stops 27 may be positioned along a, rod 28 extending from side to side of the frame 15.

By depressing tabulator keys 29, Figure 1, the typewriter-carriage 1 1 may be tabulated to different positions by means of suit able tabulating mechanism, such, for example, as that shown in the patent to Mc- Laughlin, No. 956,14 1, dated April 26, 1910.

According to the present invention, provision is made of means whereby, upon movement of the carriage 14in letter-feeding direction to a pred termined point, as, for example, by depressing a tabulator he .29, the line-space lever 22 will be actuated automatically and the platen 1O given a linespace movement. To this end, the linespace lever is provided with a member 30 to be engaged by a hook 31 when the carriage reaches a predetermined point in its movement in the letter-feeding direction. Said member 30 preferably consists of a plate having a portion 32 to be secured to the under side of the line-space lever 22 by any suitable means, such as screws 33, and a down-turned end 34 to be engaged by the a pivot 35 projecting downwardly from a flange 36 extending forwardly from a vertical portion 37 of a bracket 38, which is secured to the cross-bar 25 by any suitable means, such as a screw 39. The hook 31 is limited as to its rearward movement by'engagement there of with the upright portion 37 of the bracket 38, and the hook is normally main tained in this position by means of a leaf-- spring 10 secured to the bracket 33 and engaging a pin 1-1 extending downwardly from said hook 31.

Then the carriage, in its movement in the'letter-feeding direction, reaches the position shown in Figure 2, the member 30 on the line-space lever .22 is about to be caught 'by a projection 42 of the hook 31, and, upon further movement of the carriage, such as by actuation of a tabulator key 29 the engagement will be eifected and maintained until the carriage reaches the position shown in Figure 3, the line spacing action being completed at this time. Upon further movement of the carriage 1 1 the left, the member 30 will ride over the projection 42 of the hook 31, permitting the ca-rri to advance further to the left. It should be noted that the turned-down end ef the member 30 and the projection 42 of the hook 01 are so shaped that, when the member 30 strikes the projection 1-2 of the book 31 during a return movement of the carriage 14, the hook 31 will be cammed forwardly to permitthe member 30 to pass the same.

Inasmuch as it may only be desirable occasionally to line-space the platen automati-- cally by the means justdescribed, provision may be made of means to hold the hook 31 in ineffective forward position. To this end,

provision may be made of. a pin 13 guided through an opening in the flange 36, so that it may be moved downwardly to the rear of the hook 31 when the latter is drawn forward to a suficient extent. The pin 13 may be provided at its upper end with a fingerpiece 44 to facilitate the withdrawal, and the pin 43 may normally be urged downwardly by a'leafspring 45 having an operative engagement at one end with the pin 13 and being secured at its other end to the flange '36 by any suitable means, such as a screw 46. When it is desired to release the hook 31 from the position in which i is held, as shown in Figure a, the linger-piece 414 may be lifted to withdraw the pin 43 from the path of the hook 31, the latter then being moved by its spring 10 to its efiective position. Normally the lower end of the pin 43 will rest upon the upper surface of the hook 31, but the pressure exerted by the leaf-spring 45 is so slight that the friction between these parts is not sufficient to interfere with the ordinary movement of th hook. When it is desired to render the hook inetlective, all that is necessary is to shift the hook 31 forwardly until the pin -13 snaps down to the rear thereof.

This invention may be used advantageously in filling out certain forms as, for example, in connection with computations in bookkeeping machine of which the typewriter forms a part.

ariations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim: 3

1. In a typew-riting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, tabulating means, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, said line-spacing mechanism including a forwardly-projecting line-space lever swingable in the reverse of the letter-feed direction 'of the carriage to operate said linespacing mechanism, and a "device, mounted on the typewriter-frame and in the path in which said lever normally moves, for operating said line-space lever during a tabulating movement of the carriage.

2. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, tabulating means, mechanism on said carriage for linespacing said platen, said line-spacing mechanism including a forwardly-projecting line-space lever swingable in the reverse of the lette feed direction'of the carriage to operate said 'li'nespacing mechanism, and a device, mounted on the typewriter frame and in d e path in which said levernormally moves, for operating said line-space lever durin g tabulating movements of the carriage, said line-space lever and device having provisions whereby, after the operation of the line-space lever by said device, the latter Will yield to release said lever and thereby ermit further letter-feeding movement of t 1e carriage.

3. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, tabnlating means, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, said line-spacing mechanism including a forwardiy-projecting line-space lever swingable in the reverse of the letter-feed direction of the carriage to operate said line-spacing mechanism, and a device, mounted on the typewriter-frame and in the path in which said lever normally moves, for operating said line-space lever during tabulating movements of the carriage, said line-space lever and device having provisions whereby, after the operation of the line-space lever by said device, the latter will yield to release said lever and thereby permit further letter-teeding movement of the carriage, and also pr0- visions whereby operation of the line-space lever by said device may be positively prevented.

l. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, comprising a forwardly-projecting line-space lever, and a latch pivoted on the frame of the machine and having a projection to engage said linespace lever and hold the same until linespacing has been effected, the engaging portions of the lever and latch being so shaped that, upon completion of the actuation of the line-space lever, the latch Will be forced back to release the lever.

5. In. a. typevvriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, comprising a forwardly-projecting line-space lever, and a latch pivoted on the frame of the machine and having a projection to engage said linespace lever and hold the same until linespacing has been effected, the engaging portions of the lever and latch being so shaped that the latch will be forced back both upon completion of the actuation of the line-space lever and also upon engagement of the linespace lever and the latch during a return movement of the carriage.

6. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, comprising a for Wardly-projecting line-space lever, a latch pivoted on the frame of the machine and having a projection to engage said linespace lever and hold the same until line-spacing has been effected, the engaging portions of the lever and latch being so shaped that the latch will be forced back both upon comple tion of the actuation of the line-space lever and also upon engagement of the line-space lever and the latch during a return movement of the carriage, and a device to hold said latch out of the path of said line space lever.

7. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, tabulating means, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, said mechanism including a line-space fingerpiece, and a device in the path of said fingerpiece to engage and actuate the latter during a tabulating movement of the carriage, said device being yieldable to permit continued carriage movement in the same direction.

8. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, said mechanism including a linespace finger-piece, and a device in the path of said finger-piece to engage and actuate the latter during a movement of the carriage in a letter-feeding direction, said device con'iprising a pivoted hook springpresse'd to its eitective position.

9. In a typeu 'riting machine, in combina tion, a revoluble platen, a traveling carrn therefor, mechanism on said carriage tor line-spacing said plate said mechanism in cluding a line-space in er-piece, a device in the path oi said finger piece to engage and actuate the latter during a movement of the carriage in a letter-feeding direction, said device comprising a pivoted hook springpressed to its eiiective position, a pin inevable in a line perpendicular to the plane in which the hook moves and resting against the hook When the latter is in effective position, and a spring lightly pressing said pin against said hook whereby, upon retraction of the hook to ineffective position, said pin will snap back of the hook to hold it in retracted position, and, upon Withdrawal of said pin from its holding position, said hook Will snap back to its effective position.

10. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a traveling carriage therefor, mechanism on said carriage tor line-spacing said platen, said mechanism in cluding a line-space finger-piece, and an attachment secured to a fixed part of the machine to engage and actuate said finger-piece, said attachment comprising a bracket having an upright portion and a flange extending forwardly from the upper edge of the latter, a hook pivoted on the lower side of said flange and projecting beyond the plane of the upright portion of the bracket to engage said finger-piece, a spring on said bracket to urge said hook to its effective position, a pin movable vertically through an opening in said flange and resting on said hook when the latter is in use, and a soring connected with said pin above said ange and lightly urging the pin downwardly whereby, upon Withdrawal of said hook to ineiiective position, the pin will snap back of the hook tonia-intain it in inei'i ective position, and, upon lifting said pin out or the path of said hook, the latter Will snap back to its effective position.

11. In a typeivriting machine, in combina tion, a revol'nble platen, a carriage therefor, tabulating means, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, said linespacing mechanism including a line-space lever by which it is operated, and a device mounted on a fixed part or" the machine for actuating said line-space lever when the carriage is moved past a predetermined intermediate point in tabulating from one writ ing zone to another.

12. In a typewriting machine, in comb nation, a revoluble platen, a carriage therefor, tabulating .means, mechanism on said car riage tor line-spacing said platen, said linespacing mechanism including a line-space lever by which it is-operatcd, and co-operating devices on said line-space lever and a fixed part of the machine whereby, upon movement of the carriage past a predeterminedintermediate point in its travel during a tabulating operation, said line-space lever Will be actuated;

13. In a 'typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a carriage therefor, tabulating means, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, said line-spacing mechanism including a linespace lever by which itwis operated, and co operating devices on said line-space lever and a fixed part of the machine whereby, upon movement of the carriage past a predetermined point during a tabulating operation, the line-space lever Will be actuated, said devices having provisions whereby, upon the completionot the operation of the linespace lever, said devices Will ride over one recess? another to permit further movement of the carriage in a letter-feeding direction.

14. In a typewriting machine, in combination, revolnble platen, a carriage therefor, tabulati-ng means, mechanism on said carriage for line-spacing said platen, said line-spacing mechanism including a linespace lever by which it is operated, and (:0- operating devices on said line-space lever and a fixed part of the machine whereby, upon movementof the carriage past a predetermined pointduring a tabulati-ng operation, the line-space lever will be actuated, said devices having provisions whereby, upon the completion of the operation of the line-space lever, said devices will ride over one another to permit further letter-feeding movement of the carriage, and, upon vmovement of the carriage in the opposite direc tion, said devices Will pass each other Without eiiective engagement fllQlSbGtWQC-Hl.

15. In a typevvriting machine, in -comibination, a revoiuble platen, a carriage theretabuiating means, mechanism on said carriage tor line-spacing said platen, said line-spacing mechanism including a linespace lever by which it is operated, copperating devices on said line-space lever and a fixed part of the machine whereby upon movement of the carriage past a predetermined point during a tabulating-opera-tion, the line-space lever will be actuated, said devices having provisions whereby, upon the completion of the-operation of the line-space lever, said devices Will ride over one another to permit further letter-teeding movement of the carriage, and, upon movement of the carriage in the opposite directiomsaid devices will pass each other 'WithOlltBfiQCtlVt-l engagement therebetween, and means to positively preventenga-gement between said co- 0 aerating devices.

EWELL E. FOWLER. 

